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Under EU Regulation No. 261/2004, you are entitled to compensation of up to €600 if the following conditions are met:
If your airline cancels your flight less than 14 days before the scheduled departure, you are entitled to claim the following compensation:
You have the right to a refund of the ticket price regardless of when you were notified of the flight cancellation. The airline may offer an alternative form of refund, such as a voucher, but you are not obligated to accept it, and the airline must refund the money instead. For flights not covered by EU regulations, refund policies depend on the airline's terms and conditions or the laws of the country where the airline is based.
Instead of a refund, the airline may offer you a replacement flight to your destination at the earliest opportunity.
If your flight was canceled less than 14 days before departure, in addition to choosing between a refund and a replacement flight, you also have the right to claim financial compensation of up to €600 per person. The airline is not obligated to pay financial compensation if they meet the following conditions for your replacement flight:
If your flight is canceled less than 14 days before the scheduled departure, according to EU Regulation, you are entitled to compensation of up to €600 per person. The amount of compensation depends on the distance of the flight and the delay in the replacement flight compared to the originally booked flight. The table below illustrates this further:
As shown in the table, if the airline offers you an alternative flight and you reach your destination with a delay of less than two, three, or four hours (depending on the flight distance), the airline has the right to reduce your financial compensation by 50%.
When your flight is canceled, there are several entitlements you have beyond financial compensation. Besides potentially receiving up to €600 in compensation, you are also entitled to:
Flight cancellation itself is an unpleasant event, especially when an alternative flight is offered the next day or later. In such cases, the airline should provide you with free hotel accommodation, including transportation to and from the hotel. However, if the airline refuses this obligation, you have the option to arrange and pay for accommodation yourself, then later submit a claim to the airline for reimbursement of these expenses.
If you were denied boarding due to an overbooking situation, we have a separate article prepared for you.
If your flight was canceled due to extraordinary circumstances, the airline is not obliged to pay you financial compensation. However, you still have the right to a refund of the ticket price (or an alternative flight) and accommodation in case of an overnight delay, regardless of whether the circumstances were extraordinary or not. Extraordinary circumstances typically include:
However, not every situation qualifies as extraordinary. For example, a technical issue with the aircraft would generally be considered an issue for which the airline is responsible, entitling you to financial compensation.
It's important to note that regardless of extraordinary circumstances, you always retain the right to a refund of the ticket price (or an alternative flight) and accommodation in case of an overnight delay. Extraordinary circumstances only exempt the airline from financial compensation obligations.
If your flight was delayed due to the airline's fault and you subsequently missed your connecting flight, there's no need to panic. The airline is obligated to arrange an alternative flight to your final destination for you. Remember, in addition to the alternative flight, you also have the right to financial compensation of up to €600.
For more information, please visit our Missed Connecting Flight page.
It's important not to panic. Take a photo of your boarding passes or save them on your phone. Try to find out the reason for your flight cancellation at the information desk. Gather information at the counter about possible alternative flights. If the cancellation is displayed on the departure board, it's also wise to take a photo of it. Every piece of evidence about the flight cancellation speeds up the compensation process. Read about your entitlements in this situation and request refreshments and hotel accommodation if your delay extends overnight.
Contact us through the form. We'll handle everything for you, and you'll receive the compensation for your cancelled flight by the next day.
To fill out a compensation request for a cancelled flight, you have two options. You can either attempt to negotiate directly with the airline yourself to obtain compensation for your cancelled flight, or you can fill out the form on the Refundio.cz website and leave the entire compensation process to us.
Let's be clear: you can pursue compensation for your cancelled flight on your own without using our services. However, it's important to consider that the entire process of obtaining compensation can be lengthy (taking up to 12 months) and, importantly, without a guarantee of success. Understanding your entitlements in the event of flight cancellation and correctly formulating your claim is not entirely straightforward. Therefore, you may not receive compensation at all even after many months.
If the thought of dozens of emails and months of negotiation with the airline turns your stomach more than turbulence on a flight, you can leave the entire process to us.
In just 5 minutes, you can fill out our form, we'll assess everything, and on the same day, we'll contact you with a compensation offer. We'll handle the compensation for your flight, and if possible, we'll send the compensation to you in advance. No waiting, no stress, and most importantly, with the certainty of obtaining compensation. The amount remains yours even if we subsequently lose the dispute with the airline.
What if the airline offers me an alternative flight? Do I still have a right to financial compensation?
Yes. If the conditions are met (see Compensation for Cancelled Flights - What Are Your Rights?), you have the right not only to a refund of your ticket price or an alternative flight but also to financial compensation of up to 600 EUR per person.
Do I have a right to compensation for a cancelled flight even if it was outside the EU?
Yes. According to European regulations, you have the right to compensation if your flight departed from an EU airport or arrived at an EU airport and was operated by an airline based in the EU. For example, this applies to flights like Prague to Dubai operated by European airlines (such as Smartwings or Wizzair). A flight from Dubai to Prague operated by Emirates, however, does not fall under European regulations.
My flight was cancelled due to bad weather. Am I entitled to compensation?
Unfortunately, no. Bad weather is considered an extraordinary circumstance for which the airline is not liable for compensation. However, you are still entitled to a refund of your ticket price or an alternative flight, as well as accommodation in a hotel or refreshments.
The airline rejected my claim citing extraordinary circumstances. What can I do?
Fill out our form. Even if the airline rejected your claim, we will try to assist you. For future reference, it's easier to contact us directly to avoid such situations.
My employer purchased the ticket for my business trip. Am I still entitled to compensation for the cancelled flight?
Yes. It doesn't matter who purchased the ticket; what matters is who was supposed to fly on the affected flight. You have the same right to compensation as if you were traveling on vacation with your family.
We have prepared an overview of the most common airlines you may encounter during your travels. For each airline, you will find a guide on how to obtain compensation for a cancelled or delayed flight.